Electric railway.



w. a. Room. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

APPLIUA'HOH FILED DBOJ, 1902.

atented May 18, 1909.

ofasi novel features thereof in claims.

Yonrran strains s ra'rnn'r OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. ROOMlS. 0 1" LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE. PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF 915N11 SYLVANIA.

No. 921,140. g

Specification'pg Letters Patent.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented Kay 18, 1909.

, Original amas filed amen a, 1902, s mi No. 9am. Divided and. an: application filed. December 4, 19oz.-

. 1 Serial No: 133,847; i

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that [,Wuaaznr G.'Roomr fa citizen of the United States, at present. re-

siding at Los Angeles, California, but for- 5 inerly residing at Jersey Citjg'in'the county of Hudson and State of -New;.Jersey, have 'iuventedcertain new and -usefulImprovements in Electric Railways, bi which the following is afspecification.,-

10. The present invention relates to a system for controlling the supply of pro ulsion current. to a sectional third rail con uctorof an electric railway, and is a division of the invention set fox-thin my application for patllhe general. manner in which theresult is secured, consists in dividing a third rail or other conductor into a number of sections of adesired leugth' all of which are connected controllers, controlled primarily .tlirough controlling or, track circuits. The controlling or track circuits preferably form part alingsystem so that the. railway may be use jointly by carsor trains provided with electric motors or steam trains.

I will describe the application of my invention to a railway and then point out the The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a railway having my invention applied thereto.

Referring now to the drawing, D desig notes a generator located at a power house for supplying current for propelling motor cars along a railway.

H designates a sectional conductor which is designed to be connected to the feeder 40 conductor in the manner hereinafter set forth. In the usual practice the current from the sectional conductor after passing through the car motors is returnedto the generator. '111 the drawings'l have shown 46 a feeder conductor 50 and a return conductor 51 as extending from the generator have also shown an additional sectional conductor H.

The railway along which the motor and 50 other cars travel is divided into block sections. 1 have shown twosuch block sections 4,

S, S, i and S, designate railway signals each of which comprises a semaphore or i 1'5" ent filed lllarch 3rd, 1902, Serial No. 9653b. -p

other signal device and an operating mech- .anism for the seni'aphoi'or other signal device. Two such railway si nails are shown as lieingprovided for eaci block section. The rai way signal atone end of a'block section controls the passage of cars or trains into its block section at that end'while the railway-signal at the other end of the block .into its block section at that end. Forexample, the railway signals and S control the passage of. cars or trains along the railway in the directin'n of the arrows beneath them and the signals S and S control the assage of cars'pr trains along the railway in the direction of the arrows beneath them. In other words, the signals are adapted to control the passage of cars or trains along the railway in both directions. Each semapliure or signal device is, when the block section which it controls is free of a car or.

train, in a position indicating danger or stop and is moved'to a position indicating safety or clear as a car or train approaches i s block section, and after the car or train enters its block section, it 13 -moved again to a posit-ion indicating danger or stop Each block section is provided with a controlling or track circuit which comprises a plurality of batteries opposed to each other as to flow of current and a plurality of mag:

nets, which, owing to the batteries being opposed, are deiinerglzed. When, however, a pair of wheels and their axle are on the track rails of a track circuit, both of said ma mets will be energized by the batteries of i he track circuit to attract their armature and thereby control other circuits. The track circuits of each block section comprise armatures of magnets included in the track circuits of the block sections on both sides thereof.

The controlling or track circuit for the section a, starting from one of the track rails, is wires 1 and 2, track battery B, magnet P, wire 4, armature and back contact of magnet P, wire 5, the other track rail,

section controls the; passage of cars 0''! trains wire 6, the armature. and back contact of magnet I, wire 7, magnet P, wire 8, battery B and wires 9 and 10 to first track rail. The batteries B and B are included in the track circuits in series with each other and are arranged to oppose or neutralize eralcd in any desired each othcr as regards tl'ow of current. The track circuit for the ing from one of the rails is wires 13 and 1%, battery ll, wire l5, magnet 1, wire 16, the armature and back contact of magnet 1', wire 17, the other track rail, wire is, the armature amt back contact of magnet. P, wire 19, magnet 1", wire 20, battery It and wires .21 and 22 to the lirst mentioned track rail.

F, l, F" and F desi nate circuit eontrollcrs and N, h, N an N", solenoids for operating th circuit controllers in one direction. Fan-l. circuit controller may be of the same construction as that set forth in the application bereinbetore referred to. and the. so euoiti may be geared to the circuit controller ii.- a manner similar to that shown and described in the said application. 'lfhat is to say, the core of each solenoid is geared or otherwise connected to the switch and is acted upon in one direction by a weight to more and hold the circuit controller in one position. When the solenoid is energized the cores are moved and thereby the circuit controller too and held in another position. When the solenoids are are again moved by the weight to bring the circuit. controllers to their original or open position. '.-\ny other form of circuit controller may be employed oids included in circuits which are eontrolled by the two magnets circuit;

1*1 designates tor ;\l, a lamp l, K, K, which travel along the conductors ll, ll.

Sr-l, 55, designate conductors extending from the shoes to the motor. The lamp L is connected across the conductors 54, 55 and acts as a signal to the motornian.

Assuming now that a pair'of wheels and axle A of :1 am or train is on block section a, they will act as a bridge and form a part of circuits for the batteries B and B of that block section so that both magnets 1, and 1" will be energized to attract their armalures. The attraction of the armatures of these magnets will accomplish three results: first, the opening of the circuit of a magnet in each of the. track circuits of the block sections on both sides of the block section a, in this case opening the circuits on the magnets l and 1: second, the closing of local circuits through solenoids N, N of circuit controllers h, F; and third.

through relay magto close a local circuit, which includes a battery B. for the mechanism of the railway signal 5", provided no car or train is in the block section a, and thus block section a startdeenergized the cores and it may be op way. lu the drawings l hare -shown two circuit controllers for each block section and their operating solenof each track a car provided with a moa controller (3 and shoes moved from danger to safety. The ctr-nit, including the. relay ll. may be traced as follows: n'tarting from one pole of .hattcry B". it is wires 2t. :22. track rail of block section a. wire in, relay R", wire 27', armature of magnet l, wire l7, other track rail of block section IL, wire. 18, armature and back contact of magnet. 1", wire 19. magnet 1" and wire 20 to other pole of-hattery li". The armature of magnet l" is so adjusted that it will not respond to current through its coils when it is in .-.=e'ies with relay R". This is true of all I magnets when in series with a magnet. Thus it. will be seen that a rain in any block section acts through he track circuit of that block section to (non circuits which would have to be closed lit-fore power current could be supplied to the supply or third rail conductor of adjacent blocks on each side of the block l htt'illlnn in which the train is, and also opens \or holds open circuits to prevent a clear share the semaphore signal being given.

Returning now to the consideration of the train in block section a and withoiit any consideration of a train in block section a, upon the attraction to the magnets 1",.1", of their armatnrcs. local circuits, one comprising a battery 11". wires 37, 38, and 39 and armature of magnet l and the other comprising a battery B, wires 40, 41 and 2, and armature of magnet 1", closed through solenoids N, N, gearedto rotary circuit controllers or switch F, F. The solenoids will then act to operate the circuit controllers F, F to close the connections between the conductors a0, 51, and ll, ll. which arewires 52. 53 and 56, 57,

. current to the supply or third rail conductors. So long as the. circuit controllers of any block are closed. the car may travel through that block section, and the lam L will be lighted, thereby acting as a sa ety signal to the motorman. Should the lamp L go out it acts as a danger signal as it is always in circuit with the feed conductors. :When the magnets l", l, attract their kin-nurtures, they open circuits of magnets P and l in the adjacent block sections in t both sides of the block section a. The magl nets )3 and l lti-ares, circuits which include solenoids o l circuit controllers provided bet ween the feed conductors 50. 51. and the, supply conducg tors ll, ll, of the respective block sections. E 'lherel'ore. a train in each block section acts through the track circuit thereofto control the supply of power or propulsion current. {to one of the supply or third r'aii conductors of the adjacent block sections on both sides. and unless the driver of the ear or train obeys the signals he. will run the 't section in which will be I and thereby supply power or propulsion control through their armaof the block sections danger of entering a block.

' block section.

' 47 and 48. battery ll and armature of inag- 'of railway signal S" which local circuit inpropulsion current. The signals, therefore, so far as electric cars or trains are concerned have the double function of notifying whether a car is in the second hlocl; section ahead and also whether the supply or third rail conductor is chargeable. Steam trains passing along the railway act to open the supply of current to the supily or third rail conductors of adjacent block sections on both sides. A steam or electric train is thus insured of protection from following or approaching trains for the distance of a The magnets P and l" of block section a will. when a pair of wheels and axle bridges the track rails of the block section, be energized by the batteries B". and B". to close circuits on the solenoids X and X" which operate the circuit controllers I and F". The circuit for thesolenoid N includes the wires 43. 4t and 45, battery B and armature of magnet l. The circuit for the solenoids N includes the wires 46.

of the supply and return conductors with the feeding and return conductors. a railway divided into block sections and each block sec ion having a section of the supply and return conductors. circuit. controllers. for each block section, a track circuit for each block section comprising sources of current upply. magnets which control the operation of the circuit. controllers of that block section and contacts included in a circuit con trolled by magnets of adjacent block section. and a local circuit for each railway wignulavhich is controlled from the magnet oi the track circuit thereof.

it. The combination with insulated track sections and current feeding and return conductors. of sectional supply and return conductors for the respective track sections. circuit controllers for connecting the sectional supply and return conductors with the feeding and return conductors. an electrically propelled car and its motor. contact carried by the car for putting the motor in circuit with the sectional supply and return.conductors. a track circuit. comprising the rails of the track section and includingtwo sources of current opposed to each other and two magnets. said track circuit arranged to he a'closed circuit when a car is m-cupying the rails of the track section and means brought into action by the presence of an axle and wheels on the track rails for pre renting the establishment of a circuit between the feeding conductor and the sectional supply conductor of an adjacent tr'acl: section. v

l. The combination with insulated track cctions and current feeding and return con doctors. of sectional supply and return conductors for the respective track sections, circuit controllers for connecting the supply and return conductors with the feeding and return conductors, a track circuitcomprising the rails of a track section and including sources of current and magnets, and a circuit controlled by one of said magnets for preventing the connection of the feeding conductor with the sectional supply conductor of an adjacent track section.

The combination with insulated track sections and current feeding and return conductors. of sectional supply and return conductors for the respective track sections, electro-magneti'cally actuated circuit controllers for connecting the supply and return net l". The magnets] and l are included in the track circuits of. the block sections adjacent mo and a. respectively. 58, 59, 60 and 61 designate the conductors between the conductors 50 and 51 and the supply or third rail conductors of block section a and which are controlled by the circuit controllers F and F.

Relay magnet R controls the local circuit chides a battery I3" and relay magnet ll controls the local circuit of railway signal S which last mentioned local circuit in cludes a battery B It will be seen from the foregoing that if motornian operating a car carefully observes his signals that no accident can happen andhe will not be deprived of his propulsion current. Should, however, he pass a danger signal. the operating power is cut off so that the car will be broughtto a stop.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secrre by Letters Patent is: y

l. The combination of a feeding and a. re turn conductor, a sectional supply conductor. a sectional return conductor. circuit controllers for connecting the sections of the supply and return conductors wit-h'thefeeding and return conductor, a railway divided into block sections and each bloclr section having a section of the supply and return conductors and circuit controllers, a track circuit for each block section comprising sources of current. supply, magnet-s which control the operation of the circuit controllers for that block sectipn and contacts included in a circuit. controlled by magnets o adjacent block sections.

The combination of a feeding conductor. a return conductor. a sectional supply conductor, a sectional return conductor, ciriug and return conductors, an electrically propelled car and its motor,-contacts carricd by the car for putting the motor in circuit with the power supply and return conductors. a track circuit comprising the rails of the track section and including two sources of current and two magnets, said cuit controllers for connecting each section 1 track circuit arranged-to he a closed circuit tions. a railway signal for each block s:=r-.

conductor sections in circuit with the feedcontrolled by said magnets when a car is occupying the. rails thereof, and a circuitcontrolled by one of the magnets for prevent ing the sectional supply conductor of an 'adjmreut track section trom being connected in circuit. with the feeding conductor.

6. The comhinatirm with insulated track sections and current feeding and re urn cenductors. ot' sectional supply a re urn conductors for the respective sections, electromugnetically actuated circuit controllers for connecting such the feeding and return conductors, a track circuit, comprising the rails of a track section and including" sources of current and two magnets. said track circuit arranged to he a closed circuit when a car is occupying the rails thereof, a circuit controlled by one of the magnets for shifting the controller to connect the supply conductor with the feeding conductor, and a second circuit controlled by the same magnet for preventing the completion of a circuit. between the sectioual return conductor of auadjacent track -ection and the main return conductor.

T. The combination of insulated track sectious adapted to be used by electrically propelled cars and steam railway trains, a power system for the electric cars' comprising;- sectional supply and return conductors for the respective track sections, a feeding conductor and a return conductor, circuit controllers for connecting the sectional supply and return conductors with the feeding and return conductors, and means comprising a track circuit brought into action by the presence of a car on a track section for prwenting completion of a circuit between the sectional supply conductor oF-an adja' cent track section and the feeding conductor.

8. The combination of insulated track sections. sectional supply and return conductots for the respective track sections, a feeding conductor and a return conductor. circuit controllers for connecting the sectional supply and return coinluctoi-s with the feedirg and return conductors, a. track circuit comprising the rails of a track section and.

including sources of current and two magnets, said circuit adaptt d to be a closed-cit cuit when a car is occupying its rails, circuits controlled by said magnets for operating said controllers. and other circuits for preventing the completion of circuits between the sectional supply and return ct'mductors of both adjacent. track sections with the feeding and return conductors.

9. The combination with iusulaltd track sections and main current feed and return conductors. of se tional supply and return conductors for. the respective track se tions. circuit. controllers for onnecting the sectional supply'and ret! n conductors with sectional conductors withpassing and the feeder,

normally open 'Ctl'CultS for the feeding and return conductors, a track circuit comprising the-rails of a. track section and including sources of current and magnets, and a circuit controllct by one of the magnets for preventing a connection between the sectional return conductor of an adjacent stt'ltiulhwlth the main return condttt'tol'.

to. In an electric railway system, insus latt-d track sections, a current feeder and a return. two series of sectional third rails or conductors for the-respective track sections normally disconnected from the feeder and return, a -serics of switches for connecting said se tional conductors to and disconnecting them t'rom'the current feeder and return, electrical geiierators connected in normally open sectional track rail circuits which are adapted to be closed by the wheels and axles of a car as it passes over the track section in either direction, magnets included in said circuits for controlling the operation of said switches, and means controlled by one of said magnets for preventing the completion of aircuit between a sectional third rail in the rear of the track section over which the car is for the time bein have passed ott the said track section.

11. An electric railway system embracing insulated track sections, a current feeder and a power house generator connected thereto, a return for the current to the power house generator, two series of sectional conductors or third rails, switches for connecting the same toand disconnecting them from the feeder and return, in combination with local batteries located beside the railway, normally open circuits including said batteries, switch coutrt'illiug magnets. and sectional track rails, said circuits adapted to be closed by the presence of wheels and an axle on the track rails, additional iocal batteries and signal devices in each track section. and means controlled by a switch controlling magnet in one track section for closing one of the last named circuits in an adjacent section.

- 1:2. An electric railway system embracing insulated track sections, a current feeder and a return, sectional supply and return conductors for the respective track sections, normally open circuit connections between the same and the feeder and return, switches for closingsaid normally open circuit connections, localelectrical g nerators wholly the power house generator axle on therails of a track section and thereby cause the corresponding sectional until said car she l 

